Improvement in toy-houses



1. B. SMITH.

Toy Houses.

I Patented April 22, 1873.

NoQ 138,268.

AM. PHOI'O-LITHOGRAFHIC (:0. iv. mfasaamvs pnocssgl UNITED STATES-1 A'rnivr OFFIGE JOsIAH B. SMITH, or oHIoAeO, ILLINOIS.

IMPROVEMENT IN TOY-HOUSES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 138,208, dated April 22, 1873; application filed October 28, 1872.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JosIAH B. SMITH, of the city of Chicago, in the county of (look and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Toy Houses, of which the following is a full description, reference being had to the accompanying drawing making a part of this specification, in Which- Figure 1 is an end elevation; Fig. 2, an elevation showing a portion of one side; Fig. 3, a side elevation, and Fig. 4. an end elevation, showing a modification of the roof and Figs. 5 and 6 represent the form of pieces which may be used for the roof.

In the drawing, A represents the body; B, the cover of a box, which, as represented,

- forms a portion of the completed house, and

into which the several pieces may be placed for convenience and safety when the house is taken apart.

This box may be about three feet six inches long, one foot wide, ten inches deep; but I do not limit myself to this size. With a box of this size I make the corner-posts two feet in length above the box, and the other parts in proportion.

Two of the posts, 0, are inserted within the box at the two outer corners, and held in place by means of a strip secured to the inside of V the box. The other two posts, 0, rest upon the open lid B, which lid is supported by two or more legs, I), dovetailed into a strip, a, secured to the lid. Other means for keeping the legs in position may be used. The lower ends of these posts 0 may be kept in position by means of a pin, or they may be inserted in a socket. D D represent cross-pieces between the first and second stories. They may be provided with tenons to enter mortises in the posts. E E are top pieces, which are placed upon the top of the posts 0 O, and held in position by means of screws g h, Fig. 3, the screws entering the tops of the posts. 7' j are cross-pieces placed upon the top of the side pieces E, upon which rest the pieces 0 e, which support the pieces d. These two pieces (1, together with the short end pieces 0, form the central portion of the roof. The frame of the roof is completed by the use of four rai ters, ff, the lower ends of which are conveniently held in place by means of the strips of sheet-metal i, the outer ends of each strip being held upon the top pieces E E by means of the screw 9 h passing through a hole in each strip, and the lower end of each rafter is provided with a slit, into which the bent-up portion of the metal strip is inserted. a n are uprights or studs, any suitable number of which may be used. I either make these of two pieces with a little space between, or groove the edges for the purpose of receiving the pieces 7', which are used for inclosin g the building, and may be made from pasteboard to avoid breaking.

Fig. 5 represents the form of piece or pieces which may be used for covering the ends of the roof, when made as described; and pieces similar in form, though larger, may also be used for covering the sides, and they may be held in place by small pins.

The roof described may be removed and a Gothic roof used in place thereof, the latter being constructed by the use of the ridgepoles H H and light rafters, on m, the lower ends of m being secured at the bottom by the metal plates k k, similar to i, and the plates t being turned partially so as to receive the lower ends of m. This Gothic roof may be covered with pieces of pasteboard, cut in the form shown in Fig. 6, bent along the dotted line, a single piece forming one-fourth of the roof, if desired, and held in place by pins and the screw 9 h.

I use any required number of pieces, taking the place of joists, and. use carpeting or oilcloth for the floors, and insert partitions, so as to make any required number of rooms. I use steps and balconies, the several pieces of which are held together by grooves, dovetails, and otherwise, without the use of nails. Dowel-pins in one end of the pieces a e may be used to hold them in place.

The several parts are secured in a very simple manner, without nails or screws, so that the house can be readily put together and taken apart, and when not in use the pieces can be packed away in the box A B. This 53 memos box may be upholstered so as to form an ottoframe and panel-pieces, so constructed that 'man. The outer side of the box, or a portion they can readily be taken apart or put toof it, may be hinged, so that access may be gether, substantially as specified.

had to the interior of the box when it forms a JOSIAH B. SMITH. portion of the completed house.

What I claim as new is as follows: v Witnesses:

The toy-house herein described, consisting E. A. WEST, of the box A B, in combination with the I O. W. BOND. 

